The trains are running once again at Iron Horse Park.

The volunteer-run park is now open to the public every Sunday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm until October 12, 2020.

Iron Horse Park normally opens in May, but due to the pandemic, it remained closed until August. The volunteers have put in a great deal of effort to make sure the experience is as safe as possible.

“We’ve gone to great lengths to make the park as safe as we can,” said President of the Alberta Model Engineering Society, Ray Verdone. “We insist everybody wears masks or face-shields while waiting in the queue or riding the train. We sanitize our cars after every train ride and there’s sanitizer for people’s hands before they get on.”

Due to COVID, there are some additional changes that have been made. The wood play train and the pathways in the park will not be open and the picnic tables won’t be available.

Verdone said they are disappointed they can’t provide the same services they have in past years due to concerns around proper sanitation, but they hope people come out and support the park.

“It’s an inexpensive destination for families to come by and spend an hour or so and have a train ride,” he said.

The park relies on the money generated by the train rides and donations to cover its annual operating costs.

 

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